April 13, 2008

Box Score

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Junior Keith Fier (Armonk, N.Y.) went 3-for-4 and scored the go-ahead run with one out in the eighth inning as the Stony Brook University baseball team defeated Hartford 5-4 in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at University Field. The Seawolves improve to 16-14 overall and 5-3 in the America East with the victory while the Hawks fall to 12-15 and 6-2.

The Seawolves came to bat in the bottom of the eighth with the score tied at four and Fier promptly led off with a single to left and moved to second one out later on a single through the right side from freshman Chad Marshall (Paris, Ontario). Fier then broke for third on the first pitch to sophomore Mike Stephan (Patchogue, N.Y.) and made it without throw. As Fier slid into third, Hartford catcher Mike Amendola threw it down to first base in an attempt to pick off Marshall who then got into a run-down which allowed Fier to scamper home with the go-ahead run.

Sophomore Jeremy Nowak (Cheektowaga, N.Y.), entering his third inning of work, then retired the side in order in the ninth as the Seawolves salvaged the finale of the four-game set. Nowak allowed just one hit in his 3.0 innings of work to pick up the victory. Justin DiConzo took the loss for Hartford, giving up one run and four hits in 2.0 innings.

Junior Brian Witkowski (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) got the Seawolves off to quick start, hitting a long home run over the right-field fence to lead off the bottom of the first. Hartford rallied in the third though, putting runners on second and third with no outs against Stony Brook junior starter Mike Errigo (Bayside, N.Y.). Simon Kudernatsch then hit a sacrifice fly to center to tie the game at one and Bill Perry followed with an RBI double to give the Hawks the lead. Mike Amendola drove in the final run of the inning with a two-out single to left.

But the Seawolves had an answer in the fifth as Marshall singled to lead off the inning and moved to third on a Stephan single to right. Junior Michael Tansey (Valley Stream, N.Y.) followed with an RBI groundout to third which also allowed Stephan to move to second. Sophomore Rob Dyer (Selden, N.Y.) then drove a run-scoring single to left to tie the game.

Hartford grabbed the lead back in the sixth on an Adam Grap RBI double but the Seawolves once again responded, tying the game in the bottom of the inning on a Stephan run-scoring single driving in Witkowski. Marshall, Witkowski, Stephan and Dyer each had two hits to lead the Stony Brook offense while Andy Drexel tallied two hits to pace the Hawks.

The Seawolves return to action on Tuesday, hosting in-state rival Hofstra at University Field. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.